Open-Air Museum of the Centre of Europe

Contacts
Address: Joneikiškių kaimas, LT-15148, Vilniaus rajonas.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 5) 237 70 77, (+370 ~ 5) 237 70 70.
Fax (+370 ~ 5) 237 70 77.
E-mail: hq@europosparkas.lt 
http://www.europosparkas.lt 
Director – Gintaras Karosas.

Information for Visitor

Driving directions:
from the centre of Vilnius go along Kalvarijų Street to Santariškės or Geležinis vilkas roundabout, turn right in the direction of Green Lakes / Žalieji ežerai (the road sign indicates: EUROPOS PARKAS 11 km) and follow signs for EUROPOS PARKAS.

Opening hours:
the Sculpture Park is open for visitors throughout the year daily from 10 to sunset.

Admission:
adults – 21 Lt;
students, pensioners – 14 Lt;
pupils – 7 Lt.

Guided tour – 100 Lt.

Filming:
charge – Lt 6.

Additional services:
Guided tours are conducted in English, Russian and Lithuanian.
Restaurant (indoor and outdoor seating) is open for visitors.
Europos Parkas publications and souvenirs are also available.
Lease of Conference hall.
Post office is open daily.

Collection
The Open-Air Museum of the Centre of Europe seeks to present the most interesting examples of Lithuanian and world contemporary sculpture. Though still young the museum features many famous contemporary artists. The collection includes large scale works by Magdalena Abakanowicz, Sol LeWitt, Dennis Oppenheim among others.

Exhibition
The exhibition spans an area of 55 hectares and displays over 100 works by artists from diferent countries. Some of the works are site-specific. The sculptures vary from those nestling on the ground to those 14 metres high and from those occupying one square metre to those spanning an area of over 3000 square metres. The works of art are complemented by the expressive landscape of the park, woodlands and grasslands dotted with natural springs. This harmonious whole leaves a lasting impression. 
The open-air museum exhibits sculptures created by artists from Japan, the USA, Mexico, Ireland, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Peru, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Cyprus, Finland, Armenia and Lithuania.
American artist Dennis Oppenheim's giant Chair/Pool is one of the most imaginative works of the exhibition. Jon Barlow Hudson's unique composition Cloud Hands consists of four massive granite blocks, the construction of which was precisely calculated, making the sculpture appear as if it could fly. Creating harmonious interaction between nature, man and object of art, YONI is especially impressive Tei Kobayashi's artistic upgrowth. All 44 names of the European capitals and distances to them from the centre of Europe were carved on the granite plates installed in the Gintaras Karosas' landscape project, titled Monument of the Centre of Europe.

Cultural, educational activity
International Sculpture Symposiums.
Artist Residency Programs. International artists' residence is situated in beautiful landscape just 19 km north of the town centre of Lithuania's capital. The Centre of the European continent - a symbolic crossroads of diverse cultures throughout the ages – is nowadays a meeting point of artists. The program is open to creative people of any nationality working in any field. The residence welcomes artists throughout the year.
Artists become acquainted with cultural and historical points of Lithuania, visit studios of Lithuanian artists as well as museums and galleries. Seminars, discussions and slide presentations are organised during the program. Attention is paid to the individual intentions and needs of every artist.

The establishment of Open-Air Museum of the Centre of Europe
Europos Parkas was founded in 1991 due to the initiative of Lithuanian sculptor Gintaras Karosas after Lithuania had regained independence. The year of the museum's establishment coincides with the end of the era of Soviet occupation and the beginning of new opportunities to realize innovative ideas. 

Other news
The goal of Europos Parkas is to give artistic significance to the geographic centre (as determined by the French National Geographic Institute in 1989) of the European continent.
Art critic Michael Brenson describes the significance of Europos Parkas as creating bridge between diverse cultures more important in many aspects than similar projects executed in the USA or Western Europe. 
Europos Parkas, the only museum of international sculpture in Lithuania, is located 20 minutes north of Vilnius town centre. The museum is visited by over 60,000 people annually.

Photos by Gintaras Karosas